The Rourkela District Congress and the Rourkela BJP staged protest against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s visit here on Sunday at different places of city.
Congress led by unit president Rabi Ray staged a peaceful protest near Bisra Chowk.
The party alleged that Chief Minister Patnaik had laid foundation stone of the Koel barrage, a whole sale market at Balughat, a Medical College and Hospital at Kuanrmunda four years ago but all the projects have not yet taken off.
Since the election is approaching, the present show of the Chief Minister by laying of foundation stones of some other projects at Rourkela is to dupe the people, the Congress protestors alleged.
During the protest, they further alleged that land acquisition for the second Brahmani bridge has not yet been done by the State Government but it was blaming the Center for delay in construction of the bridge. The party men targeted both the Center and the State for doing nothing for the people of Rourkela.
Similarly, the BJP under the leadership of Rourkela district president protested the Chief Minister near Sinhasini temple with similar allegations.
The BJP charged that though it had demanded a quarter final or semifinal match of the Hockey World Cup at the Biju Patnaik stadium but it was ignored.
The BJP further said that Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and Rourkela MLA Dilip Ray were also not invited to foundation laying ceremony attended by the Chief Minister. Around 200 BJP protesters were arrested during the protest.